Too few people understand the power of words. Words matter, they have impact, but often not with the impact we anticipate.

Writers in particular must choose and use words carefully. Words are our basic tools.

Today’s word that matters: hate.

I’ve been seeing the word hate used frequently in recent times. People appear to be hating a very large number of things. If you’re a Twitter user, search for the word hate. It’s striking and disturbing.

Here are two particular phrases I’ve seen recently:

“Hate the sin, not the sinner.”
“Hate the belief, not the believer.”

I also notice an abundance of usage that throws out the word hate. For example, “I hate it when _blank_ happens.”

Hate is a particularly powerful word and emotion. Writers (and others) might consider reserving it, like a particularly strong swear word. Hate implies that you should do something about the thing you hate, that you should take action, perhaps violent action.

Is that what you really mean? Do you really hate someone for what they believe? Are you so filled with anger and revulsion at a common occurrence? If you really hate something, someone, what are you going to do about it, about them?

If you do, if you are, then perhaps you need professional help. I’m serious about that. If you are constantly filled with hate, something is wrong with you.

Perhaps you don’t hate as much as you think and that may lead you to select different, better words that more accurately describe your feelings, emotions, and dictate less violent actions. It’s more likely that there are far more things that you dislike or that aggravate you than there are things that you hate.

If you reserve a word like hate for times when it’s completely accurate and appropriate, then it becomes more powerful. Use it when that’s what you mean. And when you use a powerful word and emotion like hate, be clear about what you intend to do about it.

When you find that you’re not using a word effectively, that you’re using it wrong, plant it in your word garden. Learn to use it correctly, perhaps use it less.

And create the impact you want, when you want.

Words Matter: Hate is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!

Own this thing, dress this way.

It doesn’t really work, does it?

If you wear the right clothes, if you own the right stuff, then everything in your life will be perfect.

When you put it like that it’s clear this is not true. But it is oh so hard to overcome thinking like that.

I’ve recently began thinking that I need a uniform, a set of clothes that I could wear anywhere and look good in. Steve Jobs did it with a black mock turtle and jeans. If I had a uniform of my own, I’d look cool and be happy, right?

It’s not that easy.

I’m equally fascinated by sites like EDC – Every Day Carry, which shows photos of the really cool objects that people carry in their pockets (seriously – check it out, but don’t blame me when you lose hours to this stuff). And bags! If I had just the right bag . . .

Being happy, being smart, has nothing to do with the things one owns. Being cool isn’t something that you can make or claim for yourself. Others decide if you’re cool. You decide if it matters.

And that’s where I set my expectations, with one simple question: will this thing matter? I don’t want a thing simply because of the way it appears. I want things that I can use, that make a difference to me. It so happens that I prefer things that are well made, that the design of the object improves how it functions.

If I look goofy or uncool while using something, I don’t care as long as the thing I’m doing and the things I’m using matter. I love the Energizer 4 LED Headlamp (3 AAA Batteries Included) because it works great and frees both hands so I can do things AND see at the same time.

What could be more cool than that?

Cool, Smart, And Happy—Or Not is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!

I am a thoroughly digital guy. I back up in multiple ways. But when I really care about preserving something, I print it out.

If you’re young, thirty or under, you may think of a long time as ten years, maybe twenty. But as you grow older you begin to think of longer horizons. I now think of preserving my own writing for more than just decades. As time passes how will I be able to access things I wrote fifty, a hundred years ago? I’ve got long plans, baby.

Last year I needed to use a play that I wrote nearly thirty years ago. It was originally in a digital form, but that format, a Lanier word processor on huge floppy disks, was long inaccessible. But because I had it on paper, it was no problem to read and use. I’ve updated it to a new digital edition (I retyped it and rewrote it), but I’m keeping copies of each edition on paper. I also keep really important digital files in as raw a format as possible. For example, save as text, not a proprietary word processor.

I’m not advising you to shun the digital world. It’s wonderful. Embrace our online future.

It’s just not reliable over the long term. Not yet.

If you really care about keeping something, images and text, and want it over many years, you’ll need it on paper.

Paper: Still The Ideal Backup Medium is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!

You don’t need to print everything and everything you print doesn’t need to be color.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve owned a plethora of little color printers over the years. I can’t even count them. Frankly, I’ve never been happy with any of them. They’re slow. The quality of printing isn’t that great. They’re a hassle to configure with every system update.

And the ink for them is ridiculously expensive.

When I think back about the printers I’ve really loved, really been excited about in years past, they’ve always been black and white printers, typically laser printers. Fast, beautiful printing, and after the shock of the initial price of the printer, cheap to operate.

I’m absolutely nuts about my current black and white laser printer: The Brother HL-2270DW Compact Laser Printer with Wireless Networking and Duplex

This is the printer that my buddy, Patrick Rhone, raved about, and boy, was he right. 

It is FAST. It’s cheap to operate. It prints full duplex (prints on both sides of the page – another savings). It’s wireless, so you can set it up anywhere with a power outlet.

And you can typically find one for just over $100.

As a writer, I still use print a lot. I like to edit on paper. I take paper to meetings. And paper remains the ideal archive medium (more on that tomorrow).

Yes, I still have a color printer. But I don’t use it much. Frankly, you can save on your color printing by purchasing the Brother printer, use it for everything that doesn’t absolutely require color, and saving your expensive color ink for when you do need it. Four rounds of color ink cartridges will just about pay for this black and white beauty. You’ll save that back quickly.

In Praise of Black and White Printers is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!

Today’s Writing Assignment and the 5th writing task for May is this: create your own Writing Assignment and complete it yourself.

A good writing assignment follow the basic tasks that I’ve outlined this week:

1. Identify a weakness or problem.
2. Design an approach that will help strengthen the writer.
3. Share the plan with others.

If you’ve performed the first tasks, you’re now ready to create your own writing assignment.

Over the past few years of creating and publishing writing assignments every Friday I’ve discovered that the best, the most successful, and effective assignments are very targeted, focused. And short. A great writing assignment will capture the attention and imagination of the student writer. It’s not easy, but it’s rewarding when I’m successful.

When I set out to create a new writing assignment, I look at the problem, then sit back and think about a creative way to approach the problem, something fun that I’d like to write about. I then try my hand at it.

I also then share the Writing Assignment with my friend and editor Penny. She has a very good eye for these and will let me know if the writing assignment is on point and will likely be effective (or not – I too get rejected at times and usually for good reason).

And then I share these assignments with all of you.

For today’s assignment, create your own Writing Assignment.

First identify the problem or writing weakness you want to solve or strengthen. Then look for the way that others have approached this problem. And then think of a creative exercise, a writing assignment, that will help you solve the problem.

Then write it.

As a final step, publish your assignment. Please consider publishing your assignment here, in the comments!

More Writing Tasks For May.

Click here to view and complete previous writing assignments.

And buy a copy of the Writing Assignments book!

Writing Assignment & Task 5: Create & Complete Your Own Writing Assignment is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!

Of all of the people that you share your plans with you’ll likely find someone you know who already possesses the skill and mastery that you desire. Ask this person to be your coach for this specific program.

Where can you find a writing coach? Look for local writing groups and join one (or look for one online). You local librarian may be able to recommend one. If you have a nearby college, consider taking a class and looking for a coach there.

If they say yes, repay them by working hard at your task.

If you succeed and grow stronger as a writer, pay them back again by becoming the coach for someone else.

More Writing Tasks For May.

Five Writing Tasks For May – Task 4: Enlist A Writing Coach is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!

Writers and artists need the help of others, especially those who are skilled, gifted, and practiced in criticism. Working with other writers and supporting each other is a remarkably powerful way to become a better writer. It’s often much easier to see a problem in someone else’s performance, but even when you’ve identified your own problem, the support of others will help you to plan and overcome the problem more easily than you can by yourself.

Your third task is to share the plan you’ve created with others and seek their input and advice. Listen to what they have to say. Incorporate their suggestions into your plan. Make your plan stronger, better. Seek them out amount your friends, at your local library, or here, on the great and glorious interweb.

It’s likely that you’ll be surprised at how much help you can get. Not only will others help you refine your plan, but they’ll then become invested in your success. They’ll keep you motivated, check on your process, and want to do the same for themselves.

Accept the criticism, advice, and support. We writers need all of the help that we can get.

More Writing Tasks For May.

Five Writing Tasks For May – Task 3: Share Your Plan With Others is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!

Once you’ve completed the first task, identifying a specific writing weakness, it’s time to move on.

The next step will be to create a lesson plan for yourself to help eliminate this specific weakness or strengthen your skills.

Before you start to create a plan, ask this simple question: Has someone already solved this problem? [Note: this is a very useful question in almost any part of life or work.]

Always seek to discover if the lessons and help you seek already exist. You may already have the books on your shelves or a website within a few clicks that hold everything you need to help you build your own lesson plan.

Here’s how you should structure your plan:

1. Describe your goal state. What to you want to accomplish with this lesson plan?
2. Describe your current state. What is your writing problem and what does it look like in your writing?
3. Identify the exercises and steps you’ll need to take to improve and eliminate the problem.

This is no small task. That’s why it’s a very good idea to seek help. But by writing the lesson plan yourself you should also gain confidence that this is a problem that you can solve.

Tomorrow: getting the help you need.

More Writing Tasks For May.

Five Writing Tasks For May – Task 2: Create A Lesson Plan is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!

Writers, artists, and craftsmen of all sorts (and genders) work and refine their skills on a daily basis.

This week I’ll present you with five tasks, all designed at helping you work on and develop your writing skills.

Task 1: Identify A Writing Weakness
Task 2: Create A Lesson Plan
Task 3: Share Your Plan With Others
Task 4: Enlist a Writing Coach
Task 5 (Also a Writing Assignment): Create and Complete Your Own Writing Assignment

Here’s today’s task: Identify A Writing Weakness

There are three basic steps to becoming better at any task (not just writing):

1. Recognize when you make mistakes or don’t perform to the level you desire.
2. Realize that improvement is possible.
3. Take specific action.

Far too many people never realize that they aren’t performing a task well. This first moment of recognition shouldn’t be a time of despair. It’s a sign that you are growing in understanding and appreciation of your chosen art.

Once your recognize this, do something about it or you’ll remain stuck in this state forever. For the writer, one must not just recognize a failing and lament it. Do something about it!

This is our first task: identify a writing weakness.

Start with just one, only one for today. Trust me, there’s always something else to work on. But for today, select one specific writing weakness that you have and write it down in detail. Try to boil it down to the essence of the problem. Is it a problem with word usage, punctuation, or grammar? Is it a problem of clarity? Do you find that your writing doesn’t fully express your meaning?

Whatever the problem, name it.

Then we’ll move on to the next tasks to help make you a stronger, better writer.

More Writing Tasks For May.

Five Writing Tasks For May – Task 1: Identify A Writing Weakness is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!

Life, history, is a continual stream of choices and events. History may not be just “one damn thing after another.” I think it’s closer to “the story of things that almost didn’t happen.”

These things that happened and didn’t happen are an exceptionally fertile playground for writers.

I’m a fan of science fiction and the sub-genre of “alternate histories.” It’s fun to think through what the world would be like if one particular event didn’t happen, or happened slightly differently. Change one thing, just one tiny thing, and does it matter? Or are there big, world shaping changes from that little change?

For science fiction fans, a little story by Larry Niven titled “The Return of William Proxmire” is a beautiful example of this and a loving tribute to one of the genre’s giants, Robert A. Heinlein. In this story Niven asks, “what if Heinlein didn’t get tuberculosis and stayed in the Navy instead of getting sick and becoming a science fiction writer?” It’s great fun and you’ll find the story in What Might Have Been, Volumes 1 and 2

Changes don’t have to be earth shattering. It’s interesting to think back on one’s own life and imagine what it would be like if we’d taken that other job, missed that plane, talked with that stranger a bit longer. It’s a terrific exercise for the imagination as long as you don’t become lost in speculation or obsessed with what might have been.

For today’s assignment, pick an event, either historical or personal, and then write a short piece describing how life and history might have been different. What if Lincoln hadn’t died in Ford’s Theater? What if you had picked a different school/job/career? What differences can you imagine? What would life be like?

This is a useful exercise when looking at the past, but also interesting for looking ahead to the future. You can perform the same exercise, imagining what your life will be like depending on the choices you make. [Note: research tells us that we're more accurate with predicting someone else's future based upon their decisions and often overly optimistic when predicting our own. See Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert for more on this subject.]

Click here to view and complete previous writing assignments.

And buy a copy of the Writing Assignments book!

Writing Assignment: Write A “What If?” is a post from: First Today, Then Tomorrow. If you enjoyed or benefited from this post, please share, tweet, or link!